Lovers of stomping through the forest, putting the world to rights, a flask of tea, interesting weather and a mossy log!

…..And this is how we came together, through the love of the outdoors and a shared professional background working with children and young people. The joy of seeing our own children exploring woodlands, climbing trees and discovering nature lead us to the idea of bringing Forest School to children of all ages. And so The Woodland Way was born!

We have been fortunate enough to work with children and young people for 32 years combined. Alison has an NNEB diploma in Nursery Nursing and has 17 years experience of working with preschool children and managing a nursery. Helen has a degree in Community and Youth Work and has 15 years of working with young people, many with social, emotional and behavioural needs. We have a wealth of experience working positively with and for multiple agencies, such as Schools, Social Services, Education Welfare, Speech and Language Therapists and Health Visitors. This has been a vital element of both our work to ensure the best outcomes for children.

Other qualifications

• Forest School Level 3 Leader
• Safeguarding
• Food Hygiene
• Outdoor Paediatric First Aid

We also both hold up to date, enhanced DBS checks

Why we do it

We are both passionate about bringing opportunities to all children and young people and through Forest School we can offer children an alternative learning environment that can complement their formal schooling. Through our own professional backgrounds, and as parents ourselves, we understand the structure and pressures children face in their day to day lives. Never have children struggled more with mental health issues, such as anxiety, and free-time is now less about being outdoors, instead it is more about the television, games console and tablet. We want children to have space to run, jump in puddles, feel the rain on their faces and explore their own ideas and interests.

For us, it’s incredibly simple we love working with children and young people and feel a woodland environment is a dynamic and engaging place to learn as well as a tonic to the everyday stresses of life.

Who we can work with:

• Pre-Schools - ages 3-4yrs
• Schools - ages 4-16yrs
• Home schooled children
• Young Carers
• Children Looked After
• Children who have additional needs, such as special educational needs, disabilities or medical needs